Looking for a pick-me-up on a Monday?  Look no further.  Amanda Palmer’s done it again. Watch below as Palmer joyously sings of the life- and world-saving capabilities of the ukelele in her song Ukelele Anthem, all as captured abreast the Sydney Opera House.  There will be humor and uplift.

Parental Advisory:  there are a couple of “mal mots” you may deem unsuitable for your precious.

Press on people!

The weather outside is doing its best Manchester imitation here in California, and coincidentally last night one of our greatest songwriters, Damon Albarn, performed in Manchester his first solo (non-Blur, non-Gorillaz, non-non) show in support of his first solo album Everyday Robots.  The setting was the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.  Albarn, backed by a full band, performed songs from his new album along with songs from his various other projects.

For a sample, check out below the performance of the new album’s title-track, Everyday Robots.  And then go over and watch the full show at BBC 6.  The full setlist is at bottom.  After the setlist watch Albarn’s official video (shot by Albarn around the globe) for our favorite song (thus far) off the new album, Lonely Press Play.  It’s a beauty.

Damon Albarn Setlist:

Everyday Robots
Hostiles
Lonely Press Play
Tomorrow Comes Today (Gorillaz)
The Selfish Giant
You and Me
On Melancholy Hill (Gorillaz)
Hollow Ponds
Photographs
Kingdom of Doom (The Good, the Bad & the Queen)
All Your Life (Blur’s Beetlebum B-side)

Encore:
Mr. Tembo
El Mañana (Gorillaz)
Heavy Seas of Love

There’s a lot of new music spilling out into the musical Niagara Falls in these early months of 2014. We’ve missed some nuggets in the sluice, but we’re slowly catching on.  On this rain-filled day (not complaining here in drought-ridden Central Cali), we found a bit of sunshine in Bombay Synchronized-Swimming Bicycle Club’s official video for its levitational song Luna off of their new album, So Long, See You Tomorrow.  BBC’s new album is receiving critical huzzahs.  As seen below, the video for Luna features the best possible use of synchronized swimming (if), and the pop song shimmers throughout (lifted by the guest-vocals of Blackpool singer-songwriter Rae Morris).

Speaking of Ms. Morris, after the BBC video, check out Morris’ video for her salient new song Skin (refreshing to see the SFW video with clothed bodies) and listen to her piano-buoyed ballad, This Time, off of her 2013 debut EP, From Above (both of which you can download for free by signing up HERE).  Morris is a British balladeer worth keeping your eyes and ears on.